Receptacle for connecting plugs



a. FRANKEL RECEPTACLE FOR CONNECTING PLUGS Filed sept. 22. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I My I I I 1: 7 i I gum/" 6oz Y WM 331 mm '3 wmm May 10,1927. 9

G. FRANKEL RECEPTACLE FOR CONNECTING PLUGS V Filed Sept. 22. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lPatentcd May 10, 1927. 1

' UNITED sT TEs GUSTAVE FBANKEL, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS nncnrracna ron. connncrmo 'rnues.

Application filed September 22, 1821. Serial No. 502,554.

My. invention relates to a new and imthat can be molded or otherwise suitably mvedrecepltacle for connecting plugs. The ange 'growt in the use of electrical ap aratus of various kinds has made it deslra 1e to provide receptacles .for connecting plugs whereby current can be drawn oil to vacuum cleaners, lamps or the like, and it has been .customary to frequ'entl place these receptacles in the wallsof 0 room where it is desired to use these plu s. The construction of t ese receptacles has hitherto been expensive so that a large portion of the communi has still continued to use the sockets provided for the insertion of incandescent lamps.

and attractive lookin and cheap construction provided for tliese receptacles. Another obf'ect of my invention is to provide a receptac e whereby a plug can be connected in series or in tandem. Other objects of my invention will be set fortlrin the following description and drawings which illustrate a preferred. embodiment thereof.

Fig. 1 is-atop view. i Fig. 2 is a bottom view.

Fig.3 is a ctive view. Fig. 4 is a. etai sectional view. Fig. 5 is an inner view of one of the receptacle elements showing the contact. spring in osition.

i'g. 6 is the same as Fig. 5 but showing the contact spring omitted. I

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing a. difierent type of contact spring, the construction of said receptacle member. being also somewhat difierent. y

Fi 8 shows the receptacle of Fig. 7 without t e contact spring.

Fig. 9 is a perspectiveview of the contact spring illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig. 10' is a PQESPGOHVQ tact spring illustrated in 7.

A metalplate 1 has two outer openings 2 and 3 rovided therein, whereby the said metalp ate can be secured wherever'desired. Thev said metal plate 1 is also provided. with two openings 4' which maybe of any desired contour. These openings 4' are preftongues 5 from the body of the platel, so

7 that these tongues 5 can act as supports for the receptacle members to be later described.

'tacle membe Accordin to my invention, a very simple assembled.

view of the conscrew 17 b means of'whic the conductor barsv 12.

erably provided by means of stamping .out-

shaped. These receptacle members may be identical in construction, so that each remembers 4. J

As seen more clearly in Fig. 6, each repasses through perforations 8 in the recep- Each receptacle member is provided with two vertical grooves 9 separated by an intermediate bridge portion 10 having lateral projections 11, the yertical grooves 9 being provided with arcuate extensions 12 adjacent the lateral extensions 11. 'As shown in Fig. 6, the perforations 8 pass through said longitudinal bridge members 10, so that the fiolt 7 passes through the said longitudinal ridge members' It can be seen that the outer contour of each receptacle member is symmetrical-with respect to the median line of the bridge 10,

so that two receptacle members can be easily The contact sprin s 12 as shown in Fig. 9 may be of any or' inary construction and they are preferably made of resilient metal. Each contact spring, 12 is provided with a blade having a downturned projection 14 and it has an arcuate base 15 provided with a perforation 16. The parts are assembled 4 as shown in Fig. 5. The curved and laterally bent phrojection of each contact spring 12 fits wit in the correspondingly recessed portion of the race tacle sothat each contact blade is firm y held in position by.

means of said corresponding contours. Each contact spring 12 is rovided with a wires may connected to said contact mem- The portion of ea'c neceptacle member adjacent the projectio receptacle member has an openbase portion, whereby the assembly of the parts, inspection, repair, etc., are facilitated.

ihade of insulating material and having the ordinary contact blades 19, in one way.

1 may be called the base portion, and it will be noted that each branches 22 and 23 of substantially the same 4 It is to be understood that the contact blades 19 contact with the receptacle blades, when the plug is inserted.

Either t e plug 18 or' the plug 20 may be inserted into the receptacle shown inthe lower part of'Fig. 3, because of the special construction of the contact blades illustrated in Fig. 10.

The contact blades illustrated in Fig. 10 have base portions 21 and they have two construction as before mentioned, located substantially at right angles to each other. Fig. 2 shows the mannerin which the bases of the receptacle blades are held against turning, and are firmly secured in position.

It is obvious that the complete receptacle unit consists only of a metal plate and like receptacle members and like contact blades, so that the entire device may be made with a minimum number of parts, operations and with minimum labor. i

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but I do not wish to be limited thereto as numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing fiom its s irit.

0 course, it is obvious that instead of separately forming the metal plate 1, that this plate could be part of an electrical de-l vice or fixture, such as a chandelier, reading-- members made of insulating material, conneeting means adaptedto connect said members, each of said members having two longit'udinal recesses extending throughout its length and a longitudinal bridge portion intermediate said longitudinal recesses, said longitudinal brid e portion having lateral pro ections exten ing into said longitudinal recesses, contact springs having longitudinal portions located in passages, each of which is formed by two of said longitudinal recesses when the said members are assembled,

each said contact spring-having a laterally bent portion thereof bent around and under the corresponding lateral projection of the said bridge, each said zcontact spring having a screw connected thereto underneath the respective lateral projection of the said bridge.

2., A plug receptacle comprising two like members made of insulating material, means adapteddo connect said members, each of said members having two longitudinal 1'ecesses extendihg throughout its length, the said recesses having lateral branches, a longitudinal bridge portion located intermediate the said recesses, the said bridge portion having lateral projections aligned with the lateral branches of the said recesses, contact springs having longitudinal portions 10- catedinpassages, each of which is formed by two of said longitudinal recesses when said members are assembled, each said spring having a laterally bent portion thereof bent around and under the corresponding lateral projection of the said bridge portion, the

laterally bent portions of the said springs substantially abutting the walls of the lateral branches of the said recesses, each said contact sprin having a screw connected thereto underneati the respective lateral projection of the said bridge.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

GUSTAVE FRANKEL. 

